Sarah Palin has always been thought of as a political figure made for TV. No matter what your personal opinions are about her, there's no denying she's a fascinating person (Barbara Walters, of course chose her for her much-hyped "Most Fascinating People of the Year" list in 2009).
But now that the controversial one-time Vice Presidential hopeful has announced her exit from Fox News, it begs two questions: What will Palin do next? And why hasn't her time on television been a bigger success?
Palin herself vaguely answered the first question in a new interview with Breitbart News, revealing that she'll keep on "truth-telling," but just not on Fox. "As far as long-term plans, the door is wide open," she said. "I know the country needs more truth-telling in the media, and I’m willing to do that. So, we shall see."
As for the second question, well, that requires a deeper dive.
The Palin Family's TV Rollercoaster Palin, who began working for Fox News in 2009, became the network's highest paid contributor, earning $1 million per year.
The former Alaskan Governor's time on Fox certainly can't be considered a ratings disaster. In fact, she often brought a lot of attention to the news network. But some have questioned whether it was the right kind of attention: was the right-wing talking head just too polarizing for the already-polarizing network?
In addition, there were reports of in-fighting. A 2011 New York magazine story quoted a Republican source close to Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes being disappointed with his hire: "He thinks Palin is an idiot. He thinks she’s stupid." But for now, the split seems amicable.
Palin's other big foray into TV was also a bit of a mixed bag. Sarah Palin's Alaska, which debuted in late 2010 on TLC was highly promoted but began a quick nose-dive in ratings. The reality show started out as the network's most-watched series premiere, pulling in just under 5 million viewers.
But the second episode fell to 3 million and by the fourth episode, just 2.8 million people were tuning in. Reports, though unconfirmed, circulated that Palin had earned about $1 million per episode for the series.
Her daughter Bristol has even tried her hand at reality TV several times, twice as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars and on her own Lifetime reality show Life's a Tripp, which tanked in ratings, debuting to just 726,000 viewers before sinking to 586,000 in its second week.
Interestingly, two TV projects that are widely considered to be industry successes took jabs at Palin. Game Change, the HBO movie about her candidacy with John McCain starring Julianne Moore, pulled in a gross audience of 3.6 million viewers over its four-weekend run and has won multiple awards.
And her famous visit to Saturday Night Live to meet face-to-face with her impersonator, Tina Fey, pulled in the show's best ratings in 14 years with about 14 million viewers.
As for Palin's true next step, it's anyone's call whether it'll be on TV or some other arena. She continues in the Breitbart interview to say, "[I'm freeing] up opportunities to share more broadly the message of the beauty of freedom and the imperative of defending our republic and restoring this most exceptional nation. We can't just preach to the choir; the message of liberty and true hope must be understood by a larger audience." YouTube, anyone?
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You’re one of us. The kind of person who knows the top grossing movies, the highest rated television shows, the chart-topping musicians, and what every spotlight-worthy celebrity is up to at any given time. You’re a pop culture junkie. And maybe your friends — the ones who read The Wall Street Journal, who watch CNN, who actually watch political debates for the discourse rather than the potential memes — look down their noses at you, accusing you of wasting you time and mind on such petty nonsense.
But there’s something those so-called friends of yours (the ones who don’t get your Arrested Development quotes and who can’t even name all the step-Kardashians) don’t realize. They don’t realize that the fate of the world is in your hands.
See, the president is elected by everyday people. People who love our nation’s television, its movies, its music, its celebrities. People like you, and like us. And you can poll these people on their thoughts on healthcare, international affairs, abortion, and any other politically charged issue you can think of. But in order to really know what these people are like, what they care about and what they value, you’ve got to look at what they watch on TV, what they go to the theaters to see, what they listen to, who they idolize.
That’s why we’re heading back in time (Ghost of Christmas Past style, not Looper style) four years exactly: Sunday, November 2, 2008 — the weekend before the last presidential election, to check in on what people cared about during this memorable era. And maybe by considering what sort of interests led to the election of Barack Obama back then, we can determine if our likes and dislikes of today will lead to the president’s reelection, or to the introduction of the Oval Office to Mitt Romney. Check out what we cared so deeply about way back on that first weekend in November back in 2008…
In Movies
High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which was released the previous Friday, Oct. 24, beat out newcomer Zack and Miri Make a Porno with a $15 million gross to top the weekend.
Halloween of 2008 showcased an unsurprising influx of costumes based on the late Heath Ledger’s supervillain The Joker from the immensely popular The Dark Knight, which hit theaters in July of ’08.
In Television
As is the tradition of the Halloween season, The Simpsons broadcast its 19th annual “Treehouse of Horror” episode, which earned an impressive viewership of 6.2/15 among Adults 18-49, cementing it as the highest rated Simpsons ep in approximately five years, at the time.
In Music
It was the weekend of T.I. — the Georgia-born hip-hop artist topped the Hot 100 charts with two singles. In the No. 1 spot: “Whatever You Like.” At No. 2: “Live Your Life.”
In Celebrity News
In sad news, Election Day of 2008 (Nov. 4) marked the death of celebrated author and screenwriter Michael Crichton, who is responsible, most famously, for the story and script of Jurassic Park.
Do our interests and values of today match up with those prevalent when we first elected President Barack Obama? What can we determine from the consistencies and the changes that have withstood the past four years? Does the resurgence of superhero culture indicate anything? How about the likes of intense dramas like Homeland, or reality programs like Honey Boo Boo?
You're the pop culture junkie, you tell us!
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney]
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Are you suffering from the effects of June Gloom? It's the worst when it rains in the summertime, right? Oh, you're actually enjoying a warm, sunny summer? Well then, you're in need of some ammunition for a few summer cocktails, my friend.
Luckily, Hollywood has been busy giving us plenty of reasons to pop open a tall boy or get the blender going (hey, we have to find money for all that AC somewhere, right?). Here are the worst things that happened in Tinseltown this week:
PBR Tallboy
Charlize Theron Just Made Us Painfully Aware of How Much More Fabulous She Is Than Everyone Else
The woman is rocking a buzzcut. A BUZZCUT. We put up with it when Demi Moore shave her head and still looked like a fox. We even made peace with the fact that Natalie Portman was even more beautiful without hair. But here's where we draw the line. How are we normal people supposed to live like this? Oh. We could not shave our heads? I guess that'll do.
We Actually Liked the Dallas Reboot... and So Did Most of America
Don't tell our moms. Then we'll have to explain how much Jesse Metcalfe's shirtlessness had to do with it.
You Cannot Afford the Fabulous Clothes From The Great Gatsby
You want to know the number? Are you sure? I don't think you do. It's out of your price range. I guarantee it. But if you must, click and reveal the number at your own risk.
Homemade Blended Fruit Beverage With Vodka
Emily VanCamp and Josh Bowman Are Clearly Trying to Make Us Jealous
The Revenge real-life couple made out in public. On a beach. Looking svelt in their swimwear. You were probably in an office. Under fluorescent lights. When you saw the photo. Life is unfair.
True Blood is Going to Be Even More Like The Vampire Diaries Because TV is Testing Us
How do we make America smarter? Force them to play a never ending game of whatever you call trying to decide what's different between two photos in the back of a Highlights magazine.
We Spent Two Weeks Agonizing Over the Fate of Glass House and Everything is Going to Be Fine
Some of us (ahem) even read lengthy legal docs for (ahem) some other people. CBS, couldn't we have just accepted that TV audiences love reality shows and just got along in the first place?
Four Loko (If You Can Find It)
Lindsay Lohan Just Scared the S**t Out of Us
For approximately 15 minutes, the internet worried that Miss Lohan had seriously harmed herself. Luckily, it turns out she was just suffering from "exhaustion." Don't you do that to us again, Miss Lohan. Our little hearts can't handle it.
One Mini-Sarah Palin, Comin' Right Up!
Apparently, Bristol Palin (Teen Mom: Politics Edition) wants to get into politics... just like her mother. Get ready to endure some serious parody, little lady. The only question is, who will Tina Fey appoint to play Bristol on SNL?
Game of Thrones Made Us Very Uncomfortable This Week
When it was revealed on a DVD commentary that they did, in fact, use a prosthetic head resembling former President George W. Bush to put on a spike next to Ned Stark's former cerebral center.
There Still Isn't Enough... Exposure in The New Magic Mike Trailer
How are we supposed to get a real idea for the film if the cuts are so speedy? Oh, we have to actually see it? Well, let us prepare the Jackie O sunglasses, headscarves, and lengthy excuses for purchasing our matinee tickets like "I hear it's Matthew McConaughey's best acting in years" or "It's Joe Manganiello's breakout role!"
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler.
[Image: AKM-GSI]
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At 73, Ridley Scott is still one of the most active filmmakers in showbiz. The Oscar-nominated auteur is currently shooting Prometheus, his highly anticipated return to science fiction, and is a producer on Park Chan-wook's Stoker and Joe Carnahan's The Grey, but has dozens of developing projects to choose from once he's cleared his calendar a bit. Among them are the oft-laughed-about Monopoly adaptation, sure-to-be-sci-fi-staple Brave New World, a chronicle of the Gucci family and brand and the John Logan-scripted vampire film The Passage, but today's he's added on yet another: a Cold War drama called Reykjavik.
Written by Kevin Hood, the film is about the meeting between US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the mid-1980s which helped bring about the end of the Cold War. There aren't any other details on the project at this time, other than the fact that Participant Media (Fair Game, The Informant!) will develop and likely produce with Headline Pictures.
Though it's not exactly light material, I'd like to see Scott return to more grounded fare, as his last directorial effort - the period adventure Robin Hood - was a massive misfire. I'm not saying that's what Prometheus will turn out to be, but one can't deny that the filmmaker's best work in recent years has been the exact opposite of these movies: character-driven narratives that explore humanity, morals and psychology in entertaining ways. Matchstick Men, A Good Year, American Gangster...these are the kinds of films I'd like to see him take on in the future, with the occasional Prometheus thrown in the mix for good measure.
Source: Collider

The best episode of Dancing with the Stars is usually the first one, as the celebrities aren’t nervous about going home because they don’t have anything invested in the competition yet. It’s their time to enjoy themselves, which is fun for us to watch. They’re not looking to pick a fight with each other because they’re all too interested in their own appearances and whether or not they’ll get to wear a dress that has tassels. The dancing isn’t that great though, because the first week is always when their professional partners are still determining their skill levels. In other words, it’s just an opportunity for us to enjoy the show without the extra bullshit of what we’ll see later in the season, which is injuries, and instances when the wrong person is sent home and someone like Bristol Palin sticks around. And all that is exactly what we got last night when the 12th season of the show premiered: everything was pretty relaxed, and we got an idea of who we can expect to make it through the next few rounds.
I do not know who Chelsea Kane is, but she seems to think I should because she’s on the Disney Channel and has kissed Joe Jonas. Her reason for joining the show is because she was homeschooled and never had the experience of dancing with a guy. So why wouldn’t she cut her hair short and then run her fingers through it constantly so it looks like she just fucked Jack Nicholson, right? She grew up suffocated! She is partnered with Mark Ballas, who pins the ends of his bowtie to his shirt instead of actually tying them together. They danced the foxtrot. It was really good and they’re going to start dating. But because they’re so young and the judges are unable to have sex in two seaters anymore, they got 21 points.
WWE wrestler Chris Jericho believes wrestling and dancing are exactly the same thing because they’re both all about form. Curiously enough, he did not point out that they’re both strictly choreographed, too. He’ll be dancing with Cheryl Burke this season, whose biggest worry about her partner is that his muscular shoulders will make it look like he doesn’t have a neck. So obviously, he’s going to be the one with the deep V-neck shirts. They danced the Cha Cha Cha basically in one spot. They got 19 points.
Hines Ward is the receiver for the Pittsburg Steelers, and he’s one of the most charming athletes that has been on this show. He seems to be really laid back, but is obviously aware of the hard work that will be required of him in this competition. So in that regard, he has an advantage. However, he seems to be goofball, and this could eventually ware on his partner, Kym Johnson (who described herself as being known for taking “big clumsy men and turning them into graceful dancers”). After all, she probably doesn’t want to be eliminated in the first round again, like she was when she was partnered with David Hasselhoff last year. Kym and Hines danced the Cha Cha Cha, and even though it was a little cheesy, he can definitely swivel his hips better than a girl who’s claim to fame is making out with a Jonas brother. They got 21 points.
Kendra Wilkinson is known for fucking Hugh Hefner and then finding someone else who would marry her. Considering how much time she’s spent talking to the press about how discouraged she is to have been unable to lose weight after giving birth to her son, she probably joined DWTS to get back to the physique that got her a room in the Playboy Mansion. But that’s not a problem! She’s partnered with Louis van Amstel, who has never won Dancing with the Stars trophy, and their Cha Cha Cha was good but not great. Kendra looked lost at various points during the dance, and also had trouble keeping up with the music. I believe Louis asked too much of her, which is exactly something Hugh Hefner avoided by having Holly and Bridget around. The judges gave them 18 points.
Mike Catherwood hosts a radio show with Dr. Drew Pinsky, and he’s partnered with Lacey Schwimmer this season. I cannot find anything interesting about him, except for the fact that he believes the combination of having no dancing experience and being the least-known celebrity on the show gives him an advantage. He and Lacey danced the foxtrot that confusingly had some finger pointing in it. The judges gave them 13 points.
Kirstie Alley flat out joined this show to lose weight. I am sure of it because she essentially said that’s why she joined the show. And why wouldn’t she do Dancing with the Stars to lose weight? She’s tried having a show called Fat Actress, where her gay friends would weigh her and then make her feel bad about her weight so she would try and lose some of it. But that didn’t work so naturally, this is the next option for her. Can you see how one would lead to the other? Anyway, Kirstie is partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy this season, and you know he’s disappointed and would much rather have a woman who actually resembles Kirstie Alley. They two of them danced the Cha Cha Cha to “Forget You,” and Kirstie's spunk was largely responsible for the 23 points they got as their score.
Petra Nemcova almost withdrew from the competition so she could go help victims of the tsunami in Japan, but finally shot down all rumors that she was still unsure of what she was going to do when she danced the Foxtrot last night with Dmitry Chaplin. She dedicated her performance to the people of Japan, and danced quite beautifully and smoothly. The judges gave them 18 points.
Ralph Macchio is 49 years old! Granted, Kirstie Alley still has 11 years on him, but it was crazy to see him interacting with other people and proving that he isn’t, after all, allergic to daylight. It was also surprising to see how well he’s aged, and that Cindy Crawford hasn’t asked him to come help her promote her anti-aging melon cream that’s made from French melons yet, because this guy still looks young enough to be campaigning to get a guinea pig. Katrina Smirnoff, Ralph’s partner, expressed concern that he thinks too much, and told him what her dancing teacher told her when she was learning, which was that “over analysis creates paralysis.” His dancing was better than I thought it would be, which was that it would be filled with the insecurity of a recently released from convict. But it was actually very good. They got 24 points.
Romeo was partnered with Chelsie Hightower, and his problem in rehearsals was “getting in touch with his feminine side” and moving his hips. And during their performance of the Cha Cha Cha, there were many chances for him to show his capacity to swivel, but he kept a low profile instead. The dance wasn’t bad though – it was fun to watch. But it wasn’t anything outstanding. The judges gave them 19 points.
During rehearsals, Tony Dovolani watched as his partner, Wendy Williams, dried her tears with her braids as she tried to explain how she doesn’t cry because she’s sad…but rather, because of stress. Their Cha Cha Cha turned out to be an abomination, though, and Wendy’s insecurity and belief that she didn’t know the steps enough prevented her from enjoying herself. Her hands rarely left her hips, and when they did, it was to grasp Tony’s hands or to caress the bodice of her dress. The judges gave her 14 points.
Finally, we watched Sugar Ray Leonard dance with Anna Trebunskaya, and during rehearsals, we got more of “boxing is dancing for people with dicks.” And yet, Sugar Ray wanted to cry when Anna asked him to glide across the dance floor a bit! Their Foxtrot lacked any amazing tricks, and mostly consisted of Sugar Ray waiting for Anna to need him to complete a dip. The judges gave them 17 points.

According to Variety, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson are in talks to join Keira Knightley in Anna Karenina, the Joe Wright-directed adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, penned by Tom Stoppard. For those readers who slept through that part of their high school literature class, the classic novel follows a woman (to-be-played by Knightley) who finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage as she feels attracted to a soldier. Right now, there's no word as to who Law or Johnson will play, but we imagine it will be some type of leading role -- considering they are both pretty big names and the fact that the major roles still need to be cast. But, the best part about all of this? Since, you know, Mr. Law has always seemed a little, well, dumb, we might finally get the answer to that secretly wondered question of if he can actually read. If he in fact cannot, then starring in a film based on a classic novel is certainly the right way to play it.
Source: Variety

July
Love was in the air in July as a host of celebrities walked down the aisle - Spanish stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem tied the knot in the Bahamas, while Emily Blunt became Mrs. John Krasinski after marrying The Office star in romantic Como, Italy.
A pregnant Alicia Keys said 'I do' to Swizz Beatz, while Orlando Bloom and Australian model Miranda Kerr became husband and wife in a secret ceremony. Wedding bells also rang in Georgia as country sweetheart Carrie Underwood married her hockey hunk, Mike Fisher.
But there was also plenty of heartache in Hollywood - Kelly Osbourne called off her engagement to model Luke Worrall over allegations he had cheated on her, and Frasier star Kelsey Grammer's wife filed for divorce after almost 13 years of marriage. R&amp;B singer Christina Milian picked July to announce she was splitting from her producer husband The-Dream - less than a year after the couple wed in Las Vegas.
Celebrations were in order for Christina Applegate after she revealed she was pregnant with her first child, while Vince Vaughn, Zac Hanson, Ugly Betty star Becki Newton and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor also announced they were expecting babies with their respective partners.
Director Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson became the proud parents of a baby girl - their first child together - while Australian pop star Dannii Minogue welcomed baby boy Ethan with her partner Kris Smith.
But July was not without scandal - Paris Hilton was questioned by authorities at the World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa over allegations she was smoking pot. Just two weeks later, she was held by police in France after she was allegedly caught carrying cannabis in her handbag.
The heiress' former pal Lindsay Lohan also hit headlines for all the wrong reasons - just days after turning 24, she was ordered to spend 90 days in jail for violating the terms of her probation stemming from a 2007 DUI arrest.
Former Wham! star George Michael also had a run-in with the law - he was arrested after driving his car into a shop in London, and Foxy Brown was also taken into custody after allegedly violating a protective order.
Meanwhile, Rosemary's Baby director Roman Polanski was freed from house arrest after officials in Switzerland threw out a request to extradite him to the U.S. for sentencing on a child-sex charge.
Mel Gibson's marital woes continued into July - Los Angeles police launched an official investigation amid claims the Braveheart star punched his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva during a heated altercation. It came after the leaking of a series of audio recordings in which a man said to be Gibson unleashes a series of foul-mouthed rants at his ex.
There was a health scare for British singer Cheryl Cole as she was diagnosed with malaria after collapsing at a photoshoot, while movie legends Tony Curtis and Zsa Zsa Gabor were also hospitalised. Pink was rushed to the emergency room after a stage stunt went wrong, sending the pop punk flying into a metal barrier during a concert in Germany.
Courtroom battles loomed for bad boy actor David Boreanaz, who was slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit from a former extra on his hit TV show Bones, and Casey Affleck, who was sued by a producer of his movie I'm Still Here over sexual harassment allegations.
August
There were festival dramas aplenty in August, with The Libertines and Guns N' Roses dominating headlines at Britain's Reading and Leeds weekenders. Pete Doherty's group reunited earlier this year (10) and played sets at the festivals - but their performances were blighted when overeager fans got crushed and trampled during the frenetic gigs, forcing the rockers off the stage to allow the revellers chance to recover. Axl Rose sparked an ongoing war-of-words with event boss Melvin Benn after he decided to shut the sound off when the band overran its curfew.
Further drama occurred in August when Naomi Campbell took to the stand in The Hague, Netherlands to testify at the war crimes trial of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor, socialite Paris Hilton was arrested for cocaine possession in Las Vegas, and Charlie Sheen pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanour assault relating to a Christmas Day (25Dec09) fight with now-estranged wife Brooke Mueller. The Two And A Half Men actor was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but served time in rehab instead.
Another star seeking help for her personal issues was Lindsay Lohan. The Mean Girls actress walked free from prison before the end of her sentence for violating her probation relating to a 2007 DUI arrest, and immediately entered rehab - only to leave the health centre early as well.
Lohan's woes weren't the only ones in Hollywood - Zsa Zsa Gabor was in and out of hospital due to complications stemming from her summer accident which resulted in several bone fractures, while Aretha Franklin broke her ribs in a freak fall, prompting her to cancel a string of shows.
However, the biggest health shock of the month was the revelation that Michael Douglas had been diagnosed with a throat tumour. The Wall Street legend began radiation and chemotherapy shortly before going public with his battle and helped raise awareness of the disease by appearing on America's Stand Up 2 Cancer TV special to urge fans to raise cash for research.
There was happier health news for many in the public eye in August - Miranda Kerr, Penny Lancaster and Alanis Morissette all announced their pregnancies, while British Prime Minister David Cameron became a father again when his wife Samantha gave birth to their fourth child, Florence, while they were holidaying in Cornwall, south-west England.
Wedding bells were also chiming, with Hilary Duff walking down the aisle to marry ice hockey star Mike Comrie, veteran singer Julio Iglesias exchanging vows with his longtime girlfriend, and James Van Der Beek cementing his union with his then-pregnant girlfriend Kimberly Brook - they've since welcomed baby Olivia.
September
Lady Gaga was the big winner and talking point at the MTV Video Music Awards this month - she picked up eight accolades and stunned everyone by taking to the stage in a meat dress. Meanwhile, Penelope Cruz confirmed the news she was pregnant with Javier Bardem's baby, and Angelina Jolie - who visited flood-ravaged Pakistan - was named Best Celebrity Role Model in an online poll.
George Michael began his eight-week prison sentence in London after being found guilty of cannabis possession and driving under the influence of drugs, and Guns N' Roses were booed and bottled offstage in Ireland after making fans wait for their performance.
Smashing Pumpkins star Billy Corgan confirmed reports he was dating Aussie pop star Jessica Origliasso, and the Charlatans axed U.S. shows after Jon Brookes collapsed onstage during a concert in Pennsylvania. He was later diagnosed with a brain tumour..
Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen welcomed their second child, John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman was denied parole for a sixth time, and Sofia Coppola picked up the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival amid a storm of controversy - her ex-boyfriend, Quentin Tarantino, led the jury!
Meanwhile, Take That bandmates Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow performed together for the first time in 15 years at a benefit for injured British soldiers, but Duff McKagan quit Jane's Addiction after five months and just three gigs.
The Troggs star Reg Presley suffered a stroke while holidaying in Spain and country music duo Brooks &amp; Dunn split after an emotional night at a Nashville charity gig.
Elsewhere, T.I. and his wife were arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of drug possession, UB40 star Ali Campbell was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Syndrome, and Leonardo DiCaprio won a three-year restraining order against a woman claiming to be his wife.
Johnny Depp was named the highest paid actor by Forbes magazine, Britney Spears' one-time minder, Fernando Flores, filed suit against the pop star, claiming she had sexually harassed him and exposed herself in front of him, and The xx picked up Britain's prestigious Mercury Music Prize.
Eddie Vedder, Johnny Knoxville and David Essex wed - not to each other - and R&amp;B star Lyfe Jennings was jailed for three and a half years over a violent altercation with his former girlfriend.
Meanwhile, James Gandolfini was caught driving on a suspended licence, Paris Hilton was refused entry to Japan; Kings of Leon star Caleb Followill and hot model Lily Aldridge announced their engagement, and actor Randy Quaid and his wife were arrested and charged with burglary amid allegations they had been illegally squatting in the house they once called home.
Actor Shelley Malil was convicted of attempted murder, Wyclef Jean announced he'd be running for presidential office in Haiti again in 2015 after his 2010 bid was dismissed, and comedian Greg Giraldo died in hospital after suffering an accidental drug overdose. Lindsay Lohan returned to rehab, David Beckham's lawyers served a writ to a hooker who claimed she'd slept with the soccer stud, and Heart rocker Nancy Wilson filed for divorce from moviemaker Cameron Crowe.
There was baby news for Mario Lopez, actresses Jodie Sweetin and Danica McKellar, actor James Van Der Beek, Rascal Flatts star Joe Don Rooney and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
ELO star Mike Edwards was killed in a freak accident, while veteran actors Harold Gould, Gloria Stuart and Kevin McCarthy also passed away along with legendary French director Claude Chabrol and filmmakers Arthur Penn and Clive Donner.
Other deaths included that of former boy band star Rich Cronin, who passed away after a stroke, aged 35, and Hollywood lost true legends in Eddie Fisher and Tony Curtis.
October
Celebrity break-ups were big news in October with a number of high-profile couples calling time on their relationship. Courteney Cox and David Arquette stunned the world by announcing they were taking a break from their 11-year marriage, and just days later singer Christina Aguilera confirmed her split from husband Jordan Bratman. Ben Harper and Laura Dern also filed for divorce after 10 years together.
But October also saw an influx of celebrity weddings - Katy Perry and Russell Brand sealed their love in a lavish Indian ceremony, and both Paul Weller and David Schwimmer hit the news when it emerged they had married their girlfriends in secret earlier in the year.
There was also plenty of baby news - Mariah Carey confirmed she is expecting her first child with husband Nick Cannon after months of speculation, while Celine Dion put the heartache of fertility treatment behind her to become a mum to twin boys. Hip-hop supercouple Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz welcomed a baby boy named Egypt and Neil Patrick Harris became father to twins born via a surrogate.
Britain was in mourning following the loss of comedy legend Norman Wisdom, who passed away at the age of 95, while the world of music was rocked by the death of legendary soul singer Solomon Burke after he collapsed at an airport in Amsterdam, Holland. The death of soprano Joan Sutherland in Switzerland at the age of 83 prompted an outpouring of grief in her native Australia, and The Slits star Ari Up lost her battle with cancer at the age of 48.
The scandal of the month came courtesy of Charlie Sheen, who hit headlines when cops were called to his trashed suite at a New York City hotel during a night with a young model/actress. The star's reps blamed his meltdown on "an adverse reaction to medication". It was also a bad month for Mel Gibson - his personal problems with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva cost him a role in The Hangover sequel, while Taylor Swift was hit with a multi-million dollar lawsuit from a former manager. But the country star made up for it by embarking on a new romance with Hollywood hunk Jake Gyllenhaal.
There were also plenty of stars keeping the prison service busy - rapper T.I. was sent back to jail for breaching his probation while Lindsay Lohan escaped her second potential prison sentence of 2010 when a judge ordered her to spend three months in rehab instead. Careless driver George Michael regained his freedom after completing 27 days of his eight-week jail sentence.
November
The royal news of the year was the talk of the month as Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement and plans to wed in 2011
Teen star Demi Lovato stunned young Hollywood when she quite the Jonas Brothers tour and checked into rehab to address personal and "emotional" issues, and Charlie Sheen and Lil Wayne officially became free men again - the actor's divorce from Brooke Mueller became official, while rapper Wayne was released from prison.
MGM, the studio behind the James Bond film franchise, filed for bankruptcy, actor Justin Long was injured in a car crash, and soul queen Aretha Franklin pulled out of a series of shows to undergo surgery.
Spice Girls star Emma Bunton and Pink announced they were pregnant, Lady Gaga was the big winner at the European Music Awards, and Rachel Weisz and moviemaker Darren Aronofsky split.
The Munsters child star Butch Patrick entered rehab to tackle substance abuse and alcohol issues, Wesley Snipes was ordered to jail after losing his bid for a retrial in his tax case, Audrina Patridge's stalker was jailed for two years when he failed to stay away from the star, and country singer Eddie Montgomery was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine, Eva Longoria split from her husband Tony Parker amid reports he had been cheating on her, Kate Winslet split from boyfriend Louis Dowler, and Hollywood was stunned when top publicist Ronni Chasen was shot dead while driving through Beverly Hills .
In music news, Take That's Progress became Britain's fastest selling album of the century so far, Radiohead's Thom Yorke helped mastermind a piece of human art that could be seen from space, Miley Cyrus celebrated her 18th birthday party with pals Demi Moore and Rumer Willis, and Justin Bieber stole the show at the American Music Awards, taking home four prizes.
Malin Akerman replaced Lindsay Lohan as Linda Lovelace in the much-hyped Inferno, Leonardo DiCaprio was caught up in a mid-air drama when a plane he was flying to Russia in was forced to make an emergency landing after an engine stalled, and there was drama backstage at hit U.S. TV show Dancing With The Stars as studio staff came across an envelope containing a mysterious white powder intended for contestant Bristol Palin - it turned out to be talc!
Emmy Rossum and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz split, Jennifer Jason Leigh filed for divorce from filmmaker husband Noah Baumbach, and Ugly Betty actor Michael L. Brea was charged with murder after stabbing his mother with a Samurai sword. Willie Nelson was arrested and charged with drug possession, indie movie Winter's Bone became a big Oscars contender after claiming top prizes at the Stockholm and Gotham Film Festivals, and the Spider-Man musical opened on Broadway after a series of delays - the critics largely hated it.
Meanwhile, David Cassidy pleaded not guilty to DUI charges following his arrest in Florida, Uma Thurman's stalker was arrested after violating a restraining order, and AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was convicted of cannabis possession in New Zealand.
The baby news of the month came from the Travoltas as movie star John and his wife Kelly Preston welcomed Benjamin into the world and the proud new parents list for November also featured Stella McCartney, Ne-Yo, Vera Farmiga, Green Day star Mike Dirnt and actress Emilia Fox, while rocker Chris Daughtry became a dad to twins.
The music world mourned the loss of Australian rocker James Freud who died just days after his band Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
And it was a sad month for Hollywood as movie mogul Dino De Laurentiis passed away alongside actresses Ingrid Pitt and Jill Clayburgh and Naked Gun star Leslie Nielsen.
The film world also bid farewell to The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner and revered Italian filmmaker Mario Monicelli.
December
December saw a series of scandals as the stars brought a touch of sex and drugs to the festive season - and wildchild Miley Cyrus led the way. The former Disney star ended 2010 by reminding us all she's a grown up now after she was caught on camera smoking legal hallucinogenic Salvia from a bong, and hit headlines again days later when she was pictured in a girl-on-girl clinch and exposing her bra while surrounded by hunky men.
Her pal Demi Lovato joined the Hannah Montana star in scandal when provocative photos which appeared to show her partly-exposing her breasts leaked on the internet, and Christina Aguilera's reps vowed to hunt down computer hackers who leaked nearly-nude photos of the Beautiful hitmaker.
Pink Floyd rocker David Gilmour told of his shame after his son was arrested for clambering over a war memorial during student riots in London, and Hulk Hogan's wedding to Jennifer McDaniel descended into chaos when cops were called to break up a clash between a bodyguard and a photographer.
Love was in the air for Reese Witherspoon, who got engaged to Hollywood agent Jim Toth, and also making wedding plans this month were Ginnifer Goodwin, Shania Twain, Kelsey Grammer, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany, Poison rocker Bret Michaels, and Hugh Hefner. And it was double delight for Natalie Portman – the actress got engaged and announced she's pregnant by choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Meanwhile, Michael Sheen and Rachel McAdams became Hollywood's hottest new couple.
Actor Vince Vaughn became a father for the first time, and there were also new arrivals for Alanis Morissette, Ali Larter, and Elton John, who became a father at 63 after he and boyfriend David Furnish welcomed a son via a surrogate mother.
Nicole Richie had her father Lionel dancing on the ceiling when she wed Joel Madden, but other stars weren't so lucky in love - Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens ended their romance, Elizabeth Hurley confirmed her marriage split from Arun Nayar after she was linked to cricketer Shane Warne, rocker John Mellencamp split from his wife of 18 years, and Ryan Reynolds filed for divorce from Scarlett Johansson.
In the courts, KC and The Sunshine Band co-founder Richard R. Finch was jailed for seven years for sexually abusing young boys, Rip Torn was given a suspended jail term for his drunken bank break-in, and rapper DMX was sent to prison for a year for violating his probation by using drugs. In Florida, officials posthumously pardoned Jim Morrison over his infamous arrest for indecent exposure at a 1969 The Doors concert.
Meanwhile, Heather Locklear was hospitalised for a bacterial infection, Eminem was celebrating after landing 10 Grammy nominations, rap mogul Suge Knight was arrested after missing a court hearing, and exiled moviemaker Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer was the big winner at the European Film Awards.
Lady Gaga was named Artist of the Year by Billboard magazine editors, veteran entertainers Dame Julie Andrews and Dolly Parton were announced as recipients of lifetime achievement Grammy awards at a special upcoming ceremony in 2011, and Natalie Portman's hopes of Oscar glory for her movie Black Swan received a major boost by landing a record 12 nominations for the 2011 Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
The showbiz world mourned the loss of jazz musicians Billy Taylor and James Moody, Pink Panther creator Blake Edwards, rocker Captain Beefheart, singer/songwriter Teena Marie, and Boney M star Bobby Farrell.
And it was a miserable end to 2010 for Taylor Momsen - the Gossip Girl star spent Christmas in Amsterdam, Holland - away from her family and friends in the U.S. - after she became stranded in Europe due to flights chaos following snowstorms across the continent.

That’s right: A movie version of the age-old board game is finally in the works, and Ridley Scott will direct. Here’s hoping it’s about half as long as the average Monopoly game!
According to the Hollywood Reporter, longtime director Scott plans to give the Hasbro game a futuristic twist reminiscent of his ‘80s classic Blade Runner.
Universal and toymakers/board-game kings Hasbro are looking to repeat the success of Hasbro’s previous movie venture, the megablockbuster Transformers, whose sequel is currently filming.
Also in development are movies based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe, Battleship and, somehow, Ouija Board -- while the company’s Trivial Pursuit has already been turned into a syndicated TV game show.
No actors have been lined up for Monopoly yet, but screenwriter Pamela Pettler (Corpse Bride, Monster House) is charged with the task of concocting a script out of the real-estate game.
Can a Play-Doh film be far behind?
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